NEW DELHI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Southwest monsoon on Saturday hit India's southern state of Kerala, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said.

"Monsoon has finally made an onset here after a week's delay," a senior official at meteorological department Thiruvananthapuram said. "It is raining in several parts of the state."

The IMD said on Saturday the southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala against the normal date of June 1. Last year the monsoons arrived three days ahead of its schedule.

In its Saturday morning forecast, the IMD had already predicted that with favorable conditions already in place, southwest monsoon was very likely to set in over Kerala during the next 24 hours.

"A low-pressure area is very likely to form over the southeast and adjoining east central Arabian Sea off Kerala-Karnataka coast around Sunday," the IMD release said.

"It is likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify gradually. Conditions are likely to become favorable for the advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of Northeastern states during next 48 hours."

The news of monsoon is likely to bring respite as water levels in reservoirs in west and south of India have recorded a decrease and most areas are witnessing agriculture distress.

Reports said the three-month pre-monsoon season -- March, April and May -- ended with a rainfall deficiency of 25 percent.

Several parts of the country including north Indian plains, central India and parts of south India have been reeling under intense heat for the past month. In Rajasthan, temperatures have soared up to as high as 50 degrees with Churu recording 50.3 degrees Celsius early this week.

The national capital Delhi is also in the grip of the heatwave with the mercury touching 45 degrees Celsius.

Indian agriculture is largely dependent on monsoon.